Cucumber Infused Gin

[trillium]

We eat straight from the farmer's market all summer long, and take a break from any really elaborate cooking. Right now cucumbers and tomatoes are in full swing. Once you get used to the fragrant and down-right melon quality of a fresh, grown for flavor cucumber, it's hard to eat any from the grocery store. I was making an herb and vegetable plate for some Vietnamese bbq, and seeded a long "English" cucumber. I hate throwing anything away, and had just successfully infused some vodka with black raspberry "seeds" left in the food mill. So I decided to throw the cucumber innards in a jar and covered them with Bombay Sapphire. Left it in the fridge overnight and had it with tonic on ice the next night.

It's unbelievably good. The melon and astringent tastes from the cucumber really round out the tonic, which in this country is too sweet for my tastes. It turned a common gin and tonic into something so refreshing and fragrant it was hard to believe it had alcohol in it. It also gave a very velvety feel to the liquid. We did it at my mum's house with a peeled, grated "normal" cucumber and it worked really well. I tried it with some sliced up Boothby Blondes and it turned out too bitter. So I think next time I'm going to avoid the skin.

regards,

trillium

[maggiethecat]

Gin and cucumber are a powerful combination. I occasionally use a slice of cuke as a garnish in a martini, and I find the cucmber presence almost too strong. But cukey gin with tonic? I'll give it a try;the tonic could temper the overwhelming green flavor.

[trillium]

It's the cucumber and tonic I think. We ran out of tonic last night and I did one with half tonic, half soda. Not so good and oddly bitter (and I like bitter). I find the combination of cucumber and tonic very synergistic. But for the record, I'm a big melon fiend, from loofah and wintermelon to cucumber and charentais, so I like the green in cucumber.

regards,

trillium

[Chris Amirault]

Wow! Didja add a twist? lemon? lime? nuthin?

[trillium]

Nothing. The cucumber was enough. But a lemon twist probably would be good. It was 95 F and I was too lazy to make one.

regards,

trillium

[meatwad]

Hendricks is cuke infused.

[OPJK]

Town (on 56th St in New York) has a great bar and mixologists. They serve a Hendrick's Martini with a cucumber slice garnish along with a plate of cucumber slices that have been lightly sprinkled with salt.

I really only drink the gin to get the cucumbers.

[trillium]

Just FYI, Hendrick's is a lot more subtle then what I'm doing. I can't imagine drinking it with tonic.

regards,

trillium

[slkinsey]

I've had a few experimental drinks at Flatiron Lounge with muddled cucumber. I think it's cool to get a strong cucumber taste in a drink. Very refreshing.

[jdgertsen]

I've always thought that the best part of a Pimm's Cup is the last sip. The flavor of cucumber that lingers along with the Pimm's is hard to beat.

That flavor (and a few really dissappointing Pimm's at local bars) led to a long afternoon on the porch trying every possible permutation of Pimm's with lemon, basil, mint, apple, lime, strawberries, lovage, borage, ginger ale, ginger beer, sparkling lemonade, champagne, gin, and a perfectly innocent bottle of Van Winkle rye (don't ask).

The end result - Nothing beats the simple combination of lemon, cucumber and Pimm's

Try this sometime:

In the glass half of a Boston shaker muddle:

1/4 lemon cut into 1/2 inch pieces

a 3 inch segment of English Cucumber (peeled and seeded) cut into 1/4 inch dice

1/2 oz simple syrup (1:1)

Fill 3/4 with ice.

Add 2 oz Pimm's.

Roll (think Bloody Mary - shaking incorparates too much air) 5 - 6 times.

Double strain into a rocks/cucumber filled 10oz Collins glass.

Top with 1 oz soda.

Drink with a long straw and a good attitude.

Cheers!

[Alchemist]

If you like the cuccumber as the sweet/savory aspect in a tini, soak paper thin slices of cucumber in 1/2 dry vermouth and 1/2 olive brine, cover leave in fridge an hour before violet hour, make a 'tini, then float 3 slices on top. i think this is a way to complement the cucumber notes in Hendricks or to bring extra flavors to a hot summer, porch-sitting cocktail.

[slkinsey]

Cool idea. I'd never thought of soaking the cucumber slices. I've been doing Hendrick's Martinis with a single paper thin cucumber slice (gotta use the mandolin for something, right?) as a garnish for a while, usually with a little dish of cucumber slices on the side sprinkled with sea salt -- an idea I admit to ripping off wholesale from the bar at the restaurant Town. But I think your way of doing it must bring a lot more flavor to the game. Does it also make the cucumber slices more translucent?

[Alchemist]

Cool idea.  I'd never thought of soaking the cucumber slices.  I've been doing Hendrick's Martinis with a single paper thin cucumber slice (gotta use the mandolin for something, right?) as a garnish for a while, usually with a little dish of cucumber slices on the side sprinkled with sea salt -- an idea I admit to ripping off wholesale from the bar at the restaurant Town.  But I think your way of doing it must bring a lot more flavor to the game.  Does it also make the cucumber slices more translucent?

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Yes completly translucent and the flavor of the vermouth, and brine can osmois (SP?) all the way through.

[Carlovski]

Fancy doing that sort of thing to perfectly good Gin.

But I don't like Cucumber in my Pimms either.

Or in anything to be honest.

Not very English of me really!

[Alchemist]

Fancy doing that sort of thing to perfectly good Gin.

But I don't like Cucumber in my Pimms either.

Or in anything to be honest.

Not very English of me really!

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I do belive it was the english who visited the addition of limes upon perfectly unsuspecting gin in the first place which birthed the gimlet. I'm sure there were "pink drinkers" who were horrified. A little variety in life keeps the palate awake, ones companions dying to attend your next shindig to sample your potables and way to veer from the ruts that are so easy to get stuck in.